


The Seventh

by Nariva



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassination, Dark, Dark Magic, Gen, Genocide, Grief/Mourning, King Harrow Lives, Magic, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-07-12 11:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15994226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nariva/pseuds/Nariva
Summary: Humanity marched on Xadia, led by a grieving King and an ambitious mage.





	1. Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katolis mourned.

     The King walked at the head of the procession, cloaked in white and black as he led their somber march forward. Viren walked a step behind the man, clasping his hands behind his back as the bell rang out above. The citizens watched them pass, heads bowed in respectful grief as the pallbearers bore the twin caskets towards their final resting place. Rocks crunching beneath his feet, the mage joined his King as the procession parted for the pallbearers, and he watched as they mounted the stairs. Reaching the top, they slowly lowered the caskets, carefully setting them down before taking several steps back. Opeli, the head priestess, climbed the stairs to stand between the caskets, looking to the King as she waited for him. The man's eyes never strayed from the caskets, however, and he made no move to speak. Viren caught the priestess's gaze, giving a slight shake of his head before he stepped forward in his King's place.

     "Three days ago," he began, "we woke to a devastating truth. Our princes had been taken from us, slain by the forces of Xadia; _vile_ Moonshadow elves." People clutched their children closer, a low murmur of horror going through the crowd as Viren continued. "They attempted to take the King's life, and failing to do so, took his sons' instead. We _cannot_ let Xadia's cruelty go unanswered, we _must_ move forward with strength. Light the pyre," he commanded, turning to look up at Opeli as she gave a single nod. The woman faced the caskets, lowering her flame so that it touched the cloth. A moment later, the fire caught and spread, its heat and light growing as it flared upward. "We have followed our traditions, and mourned for three sunsets," Viren spoke, raising his voice over the roar of the flames. "Tomorrow, however, we must put our pain behind us, for tomorrow, we are at war."


	2. Cell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human mage was a monster, Rayla was certain of that.

     Rayla flexed her hand, wincing at the pain that throbbed up her arm. The cords. The right had pulsed red, slipped from her wrist after she'd... she'd... The elf shook her head, grimacing as she looked at the left cord. It had remained, even after her capture. If what Runaan had told her was true- Runaan. She closed her eyes, trying to think of the possible fates that had befallen her comrade. She herself had never expected to wake, had thought that her last living sight would be of the horrified, vengeful female mage. But she _had_ woken up; found herself chained to a wall in some dark little dungeon. The grind of wood against stone made her look up, and Rayla listened carefully as footsteps descended towards her, a second pair following behind the first. Jailers? Torturers? She... she _wasn't_ afraid. The dead had nothing to fear, Runaan had told her before they'd crossed the border, and she clung to his words as the door to her cell opened and-  _the king_. Rayla stared as the human entered her cell, shocked at the sight of him. Runaan, the others- they'd _failed_. The knowledge was more painful than the female mage's lightening had been, and Rayla blinked hard as she looked at the floor. Her friends...

     "You," the human king spoke to her, his voice quiet even in the silence of her cell, "you're the one who killed my sons?" She looked again at the floor, then gave a hesitant nod.

     "I-" Rayla paused, cursing the way her voice wavered. She had nothing to be ashamed of! "Yes," she answered, clearing her throat, "I did."

     "Why?" he asked her, and she scoffed at question.

     "Humans cut down the King of the Dragons," she repeated, wincing as her words reminded her all too sharply of the... the first human child. But she would give the father the same answer she'd given him. "And destroyed his only egg, the Dragon Prince. Justice could not be denied." The dark skinned human stood in silence at that, his gaze dropping from her to the floor as he considered her answer. She took that moment to study the other man who'd entered after him, her eyes drawn to the silver staff he held. She frowned at it, looking up at the human, but the mage watched only his king.

     "Justice?" the king repeated, a dim hint of confusion in his dark eyes. "But Cal-" he chocked on the name, cleared his throat. "Ez-," and he paused again, swallowing thickly. "My sons didn't help me kill the Dragon King," he finally managed, his eyes meeting hers. "They were innocent-"

     "I didn't want to kill the older one!" Rayla snapped back, shaking her head defensively at the look of disdainful disbelief she got from the mage at that. "We only came here for you and Prince Ezran! But he lied, said he was the Prince, and I... I believed him. And then the other human," she continued, swallowing, "he came out from behind a curtain, called the older one by a different name." She looked up at her cord, flexed her hand. "And my cord, it hadn't changed. I realized that he'd lied, that the other one looked more like you and I-" Rayla paused again, biting her lip. _Why_? she had finally redeemed her parents, served justice for the death of the Dragon Prince! Why did she feel so horrid, then!?

     "Killed him," the mage finally spoke, finished her story for her. He turned from her, resting his hands on the human king's shoulders as he continued. "I told you," he said, his voice going soft, "coming here wouldn't help. Go, be with Amaya, I'll be up shortly." The king sighed, reaching out to cup the mage's neck as he stepped closer. Silently, he rested his forehead against the other's as he closed his eyes, a gesture the man returned. The two stood like that for a long moment, a sight of mourning comfort that made Rayla's hand ache as she looked away. "Go," the mage said again, releasing the king as he stepped forward to open the door for him. "I'll be there soon," he promised, and king nodded, exiting the cell. Rayla pulled at her chains as the human listened to his King go up the stairs, and once they could no longer hear him, he spoke.

    "Thank you," the mage said, and Rayla blinked at the man, certain she'd heard him wrong. He turned to face her, examining the cord on her wrist with mild interest as he withdrew a coin purse from the folds of his pocket. "You don't understand," he surmised, and she bristled at that. "You and your assassins," he explained, planting his staff in front of him. "In four days, you've done more for humanity than any human mage has done since the Great Divide."

     "What do you mean?" she spat.

     "'Justice,'" the human quoted, "for the King of Dragons and his egg. You killed Ezran, tried to kill King Harrow, but there's one thing you overlooked."

     "And what would that be?" Rayla asked.

     "The King of Katolis killed the Dragon, yes, but _every_ human kingdom helped him. And do you know what your declaration, your actions, will say to them, elf?" he asked her.

     "What?" she asked, leaning forward against her chains to look him as closely in the eye as she could.

     "That no kingdom will be safe from Xadia," he said, looking down at the purse he held as he fished out several strange little balls. "Do you know much about human history?" he asked her, the sudden change in direction catching her off foot.

     "I- I know what I need to," Rayla answered, and the mage chuckled at that.

     "You know little, then." She scowled at the insult. "After your kind drove us out of Xadia, humanity gradually split into separate groups. We each followed a different leader, claimed territory; fought for resources. It was a _waste_ ," he said, and she startled at the intensity of his scorn. "Humanity had discovered the seventh source! We were the only ones willing to use it! We could have united against the elves and dragons, taken _back_ our rightful lands!" The mage took a breath, closing his eyes as he slowly exhaled. "But we didn't. The old kings and queens grew comfortable where they were, content to squabble amongst themselves over petty scraps of land, and nothing has changed since then." He opened his eyes, nearing her as he struck the bottom of his staff against the ground. Rayla's eyes went wide as the top of the staff unfolded, snapped upward. Wait... She looked closer at the staff, her eyes narrowing once more at its sudden, odd familiarity. "King Harrow would have eventually died, and his _weak_ son would have taken the throne. Katolis and the other kingdoms would have gone _no where_. But you," he continued, and Rayla scrambled away from him as he came closer. "You killed the Princes; claimed it was for justice. You've given humanity an enemy to _unite_ against. You've forced our kings and queens to _finally_ act!"

     "You're insane," Rayla whispered, pressing her back to the wall as she stared at the human.

     "I'm a visionary," he replied, and her eyes went wide as he held the staff forward, its central purple jewel mere inches from her face. "But don't worry, little elf," he said, his voice disgustingly comforting, "I'll make sure you get to see your home lands one last time." And the mage spoke strange words, an echo entering his voice as violet power engulfed the jewel. His eyes flickered a matching color and he towered over her, his magic reaching out as she screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In episode four, Rayla says this, "'You called me a bloodthirsty monster. You have no idea how that feels.'"  
> I laughed out loud- lady, get off your high horse, you literally set out to kill a father and his little kid.


	3. March

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They marched for Xadia.

     Their banners stretched on for as far as his eye could see, the full might of a united humanity massed around him. It was a breathtaking sight, one he'd never thought he'd live to see. Viren patted his pocket, felt the beads hidden within. Truly, he owed a debt to the little elven assassin, one he intended to fulfill. He had meant every word of his thanks to her- her murder of Prince Ezran and his brother would be the final tipping point in humanity's existence. At the thought of the boys, Viren turned in his saddle to face Harrow. The King rode a few paces behind him, his hair loose and unbraided as he gazed at the ground. Their progress had not been without pain, Viren reminded himself, and he slowed so that they were once more side by side. The King's dark eyes flickered over the united armies, a touch of hesitance there. Viren reached out, clapping his hand to the King's shoulder as the man looked at him. He flashed a smile, and when the King didn't return it, he tightened his hand in comfort. The deaths of his sons had broken the man, just like the deaths of their mothers' had. But tragedy had always strengthened him, the mage reminded himself. Viren had no doubts that he would pull the tattered pieces of soul together once more, made stronger than ever by his grief. And a strong King was what humanity would need, even if they, and he, didn't know it yet. Xadia would at last be humanity's home once more, led by the worthiest of them. It would be _glorious_. Pulling away from the King, Viren turned in his saddle, compulsively checking if his bag was still fine. No one would dare tamper with it, he knew, but the need to continually check on it was still there. It was the key to their victory, after all.


	4. The Seventh Source

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viren unleashed humanity's full power on the denizens of Xadia.

     Dragons wheeled about above, bursts of flames and lightning lighting up the dark skies as they swept over the human forces. Viren stumbled as the earth shook, his daughter steading him as they looked toward the source of the commotion. A group of soldiers bearing Queen Nephia's colors screamed as the ground below them split open, swallowing them whole as it clapped back shut. Claudia shivered, her face pale as she looked to him. He ignored her, looking down at the battle stretching out before him as he carefully set his satchel down. The battle hadn't gone smoothly. They'd already lost two of their five royal groups- King Marris and Queen Valena had been killed by magic laced arrows upon taking to the field, and Queen Taliana, along with her daughters, Princesses Avaline and Marda, had died defeating the Ocean elven king. Not great, he thought to himself, but their forces hadn't completely collapsed yet. Queen Nephia had taken command of Marris and Valena's forces, Taliana's people had joined their strength to Harrow's, and King Martus fought surprisingly well for his youth. Still, Viren admitted to himself, this was a war his fellow humans were slowly losing. Nephia and her Royal Guard had successfully taken the head of the elven Star Queen, but the King had slipped away from them, retreating to the back of the battle where the main body of the Xadian forces were. The royals families of the sky, the sun, the moon, and the earth still lived, their forward forces ruthlessly battering Martus's shield wall as the sun elves burned their way towards Harrow. They were losing, he reminded himself, but all was  _not_ fully lost. Reaffirming his confidence, he looked out to where Harrow fought, watching as the man parried a blow meant for Soren and used his momentum to stab the attacker through the stomach. _There_ he was, Viren thought proudly, _there_ was the King who would lead them. Gone were his sorrows and regrets, left behind as the King focused solely on protecting his fellow humans.

     "Father!" Claudia's terrified scream ripped him from thoughts, and Viren looked up as she pointed towards the sky. A roar shook the earth beneath them, and Viren swayed with the motion as the clouds before them split apart, the Queen of the Dragons landing heavily off to their far right. She flexed her golden wings, spread them wide as she reared back and let loose another ground shaking roar. A swell of screams followed as the Dragon Queen struck out, fire spilling from her maw as her tail leveled the unfortunate soldiers behind her. "What are we going to do!?" His daughter cried out, clutching his arm tightly as the Queen decimated the human armies closest to her.

     "Be still," he snapped, fishing out his coin purse to dump the trapped assassins into her palm. The tiny faces of the elves contorted in horror as they saw the world around them, the little one who'd killed the princes beating uselessly at the wall of her marble. "Remember your role," he told her, "this _must_ happen as we planned, or humanity will die today!" Her mouth snapping shut, Claudia gave him a small nod, her fingers curling tightly around the marbles as he took a knee, opening his satchel. He reached inside, pulling out the egg. Blue light pulsed beneath its warm, shimmering surface, and Viren carefully held it close as he turned to the gathered mages behind him. He'd purposefully withheld them from the battle, knowing that they would need every ounce of magic available for what he was about to do. For a moment, the others hesitated, their eyes fixed on the egg he held. Then, slowly, Lady Myrun reached out, clasping his shoulder as he turned back to face the chaos below. Another hand closed around his left shoulder, a bangle with the marks of Queen Nephia's kingdom jangling around the thin wrist. One after another, more hands reached out to touch him, Lady Myrun leading their chant as they worked to funnel their power into his. _At last_. Feeling the darkness swell within his chest, Viren opened his eyes, watched as Claudia reached out to add her magic to his own. Her eyes went black as she joined in the chant, the souls of the elven assassins gleaming violet as they fueled her magic. The voices of the mages rising, Viren looked down at the egg he held. It was such a small thing for being so dangerous. He could easily imagine the horror humanity would have faced if he hadn't taken it- a new Dragon King or Queen raised to despise humans, striving for revenge; just as powerful as its father. He had saved them from that terrible future, just as he would save them now. The mage raised the egg high, his own eyes darkening as he focused his magic on the small, beating heart within. Its essence pulsed as his magic invaded, its steady throb beginning to fade as he leeched it into his own. He was only dimly aware of the Dragon Queen shuddering, her head swinging toward him as she leapt into the air with a panicked screech. The world around him slowed as he further drained the dragonling's life, Harrow's distant cry of his name temporarily pulling Viren's gaze to him. The King had been caught mid sprint, his face a mask of utter desperation as his eyes slowly slid from the approaching Queen to the mage's group. Breathing deeply, Viren refocused on the egg, leaching the last dredges of its essence into his. As the egg crumpled in on itself, swirling down to enter him, time stopped for Viren. Violet magic swelled in his veins, shooting up his arms to circulate through him before it swirled back to rest in his hands. The magic, it was... _staggering_. Such **_power_**! Viren looked up at the frozen Dragon Queen, her wings stretched wide, her red eyes pinned on him alone. It'd be so easy, he thought, so _easy_. A single thought, a single spell, and the Queen of the Dragons would fall at his hand. But they hadn't marched on Xadia to simply kill another dragon, and he looked away from her as he focused on their true goal. The combined armies of Xadia, stretching back into the dark distance. No, humanity had come for their homeland, a place he would _never_ allow them to be forced from again. The magic in his hand tightened, a red flame that brightened into blinding whiteness as he drew back his arm and _cast_. The fire shot from his hand with a deafening thunderclap, the world around him resuming its pace as his magic arched high over the human forces. The battle paused as all: human, elf, and dragon, looked up in awestruck silence. And as his magic struck the distant Xadian main force, white hot flames disintegrating everything it touched, Viren fell. His fellow mages caught him, slowly lowering the shaking man to his knees as they whispered spells of revitalization. His vision blurring, Viren looked up at the murky face of his daughter, barely feeling her touch as she pressed a warm hand to his forehead.

     "-ther," she said, and he slowly blinked at her. "-ather, you did it!" He shook his head in weariness, running a shaking hand over his face as she helped him back to his feet. As he leaned against Claudia, thankful for her presence, a screeching cry sounded from their right. The Dragon Queen plummeted to the ground, landing heavily as she thrashed in horrified loss. Viren only barely caught sight of Harrow turning from them, the man raising his sword high as he led his and Taliana's Royal Guards toward the screaming dragon.

     "The King," he rasped to Claudia, "protect Harrow."

     "I won't leave you," she protested, and Lady Myrun stepped into Viren's sight, the woman shaking her head.

     "Stay with your father," the mage said, "we'll protect your King." She looked back to her fellow mages, "Lord Kalen, with me. Lady Cassandra, Lord Michael, kill every Moon Shadow elf you can find- if they live to nightfall we'll _regret_ it. Lord Zoram, help Queen Nephia find that coward Star King. We'll converge on the Sun elves after we-" Viren looked away from the mage, eyeing the blurred forces before him as Claudia stubbornly forced him back down into a sitting position.

     "Rest, father," she softly intreated him, "we can win this, just rest." And lulled by her warming spell, weak from exhaustion, Viren closed his eyes.


	5. King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of their victory, humanity decided on their king.

     In the cold dawn of the new morning, Viren spoke to the soldiers and royalty before him. He raised his voice to be heard by all, clasping his hands behind his back as he spoke.

     "Humanity won this battle because we stood united- we fought as one for our lives, our families lives, our _children's_ lives." He was careful to emphasize that, to remind the soldiers of what Harrow had lost to Xadia. "However," he continued, casting his gaze around the soldiers and mages, "the war is not over. We won this battle, but if we splinter, if we waver in our unity for even a moment, the elves and the dragon will steal this from us." He planted his staff before him, raising his voice as he spoke in harder tones. "They will drive us back to our kingdoms, and slaughter every man, woman, and child they can for what we accomplished yesterday!" Unease trickled through the ranks at that, the soldiers before him ill at ease at the truth. "We must stand united, under _one_ king!"

     "One?" Harrow repeated, raising as eyebrow.

     "Yes," he said, "one."

     "And who would you crown?" the king asked, weary expectation in his voice.

     "You," Viren answered, and the ranks around them shifted with uncertainty as he knelt, bowing his head to the man. If everything went as he'd planned, humanity would finally be guided by the worthiest their royal lines. Queen Nephia and King Martus could argue all they wanted- but it had been Harrow who'd killed the Queen of the Dragons, the fiercest of their opponents, and it had been Viren, his mage, who'd turned the battle firmly in their favor. Katolis would win this, his king would win this!

     "No," the quiet rejection made his head snap back up.

     "Harrow-" Viren began, baffled, but his king cut him off.

     "No," the man said, his voice firm. "I know it's what you've wanted, Viren," he continued, moving to stand before the kneeling mage. "But... I can't be that man," he said, shaking his head, "not anymore."  He paused, his dark eyes going distant. "I've doubted human magic," he confessed, looking down at the mage. "Questioned our methods; my own actions." He looked beyond Viren, raised his voice to be heard by all. "If I became your King, I would kill us all," he said, and the soldiers around them went deathly silent. "Lord Viren is right- if we hesitate for even a moment, the elves and dragons will wipe us out." He stepped away from Viren, moving to pace before the ranks of men and women as Viren slowly stood. Claudia glanced at her father, raising an eyebrow, but the mage could only give her a shrug. "If humanity is going to survive," Harrow continued, "we need a king who won't hesitate to do what must be done! Who won't doubt his methods, or question the price of his actions. We need him to be certain at all times." Harrow turned from the soldiers, facing Viren. "I can't be that man," he repeated, "but _you_ can." Viren blinked, staring at his king in utter disbelief.

     "What?" he asked, dumbstruck.

     "You've never wavered from our path," Harrow explained as he reached up and removed his crown. "Never doubted yourself, never hesitated. If we're going to survive this, we _need_ that." The man looked down at the crown he held, his hand briefly tightening on it before he tossed it aside. Viren watched it roll away, his wide eyes going back to Harrow. "We need _you_... my king," the man told him, taking a knee as he bowed his head to the mage. For a moment, no one moved. Speechless, Viren stared down at the man before him. What. What was... And then a flicker of dark fabric caught his eye, and Viren looked up as Lady Myrun moved to stand at Harrow's side. She looked at the kneeling man, her bright eyes going to Viren as she searched his face. For what, Viren didn't know, but she smiled as she too knelt before him.

     "My magic is yours, King Viren," she declared, holding her staff out in offering as she bowed her head.

     "Our magic is yours, King Viren," voices behind him echoed her sentiment, and Viren turned to watch as first Lord Michael, then Lord Zoram also knelt. One by one, the other mages followed suite, Claudia hesitantly going to her knees as she looked around in utter disbelief. The front rank of Katolis soldiers parted then, and Viren watched as Amaya and her second in command stepped out. The silent woman slowly approached Harrow, her eyes glinting from behind her helmet as she looked from him to Viren. They stood for a moment, watching one another, and then the woman began briskly signing.

     "We will honor our... former... King's wishes," Commander Gren repeated for them, Amaya drawing her sword to plant it firmly in the ground. Clutching the hilt, she knelt by Harrow's side. "For the sake of humanity, our swords are yours, King Viren," the Commander finished, drawing his own sword to mirror Amaya's form.

     "Our swords are yours, King Viren," a voice from behind them called, and the mage looked up as one after another, soldiers bent their knee to him.

     "Our swords are yours." The oath of fealty grew louder as more voices joined.

     "Our swords are yours." Men and women from every kingdom knelt.

     "Our swords are yours." And so Viren, the first of his name, became king.


End file.
